Google Fit gets ready to take on the Apple Watch

Google is revamping its fitness platform ahead of a potential smartwatch push this fall. Instead of counting steps and calories, the new Google Fit divides activity into “Move Minutes” (for light activity) and “Heart Points” (for strenuous exercise). Google can detect this activity automatically on an Android phone or Wear OS smartwatches, and can pull in data from other fitness services such as Strava, Runkeeper, and Endomondo.

The Google Fit app is also getting a redesign, with activity rings that look a bit like the ones in Apple’s Health apps. Google says it’s worked with the World Health Organization and American Heart Association to develop the daily goals for those rings, and the app will offer personalized tips on how to fill the meter.

Fitness could feature prominently on a Google smartwatch, which is rumored for this fall alongside a major Qualcomm wearable chip update. But as Apple builds out its own fitness features with an upcoming Watch OS update, keeping pace won’t be easy.